Comparative clinical, virological and pathological characterization of equine rotavirus A G3P[12] and G14P[12] infection in neonatal mice.
Abstract: Group A rotavirus (RVA) infections are a leading cause of neonatal diarrhoea in foals. Neonatal mice could serve as a useful tool to study the pathogenesis of equine RVA (ERVA) as well as a preclinical model for assessment of vaccine efficacy. This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the clinical, virological and pathological features of ERVA G3P[12] and G14P[12] infection in neonatal mice and compare them with porcine OSU G5P[7] and bovine UK G6P[5] RVA reference strains. Neonatal mice orally inoculated with equine, bovine and porcine RVA developed short-lived diarrhoea at variable rates, G14P[12] (61%) and G3P[12] (88%). Viral replication kinetics for all strains were characterized by a gradual decline in viral load to levels below the limit of detection by 72-96 h post-infection (hpi), in line with the reduction in the number of infected enterocytes demonstrated via RNAscope hybridization. Importantly, the clinical and viral replication kinetics correlated with significant microscopic intestinal alterations characterized by enterocyte vacuolation, scalloping and hyperplasia with a peak occurring at 48 hpi and persisting until at least 96 hpi. Overall, neonatal mice develop a disease phenotype of short duration following infection with equine, porcine and bovine RVA strains characterized by diarrhoea and pronounced histological alterations in the intestinal villi. The limited intestinal viral replication is likely associated with host restriction. The clinical and pathological phenotypes developed by neonatal mice following experimental infection could serve as a preclinical tool to assess vaccine efficacy and for pathogenesis studies involving RVA of equine, porcine and bovine origin.
Publication Date: 2025-06-05 PubMed ID: 40471657PubMed Central: PMC12141749DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.002110Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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Equine rotavirus A (ERVA) is a common cause of neonatal diarrhea in foals. The research article examines the clinical, virological and pathological features of two strains of ERVA in neonatal mice for comparative study and to establish mice as a preclinical model for vaccine efficacy assessment.
Rotavirus A and Methods of Study
- RotaVirus A (RVA) is a leading cause of diarrhea in newborn foals, which can be life-threatening.
- The study uses two strains of RVA, namely ERVA G3P[12] and G14P[12].
- The study also uses two reference strains for comparison, porcine OSU G5P[7] and bovine UK G6P[5] RVA.
- The study aims to evaluate and compare the clinical, virological, and pathological characteristics of these four strains.
Infection in Neonatal Mice
- Neonatal mice were orally inoculated with each of the four RVA strains to study the progress of the disease.
- Upon infection, the mice developed diarrhea at varying rates. Mice infected with G14P[12] developed diarrhea at a rate of 61%, while those infected with G3P[12] developed diarrhea at a higher rate of 88%.
- The viral replication kinetics for all strains showed a gradual decline to levels below the limit of detection by 72-96 hours post infection (hpi).
- This decline corresponded with the reduction in the number of infected enterocytes, the cells of the intestinal lining.
Microscopic Intestinal Alterations
- The clinical and viral replication kinetics were found to correlate with microscopic intestinal alterations.
- These alterations involve enterocyte vacuolation (formation of vacuoles, or empty spaces), scalloping (making of indented or wavy edges), and hyperplasia (production of new cells).
- The peak for these alterations was observed at 48 hours post infection, persisting up to 96 hours.
Outcomes and Future Research
- The neonatal mice developed a short-duration disease phenotype characterized by diarrhea and significant physiological changes in the intestinal tract due to infection with the four RVA strains.
- According to the researchers, the limited duration of intestinal viral replication might have been due to the host’s restriction.
- The study concludes that this disease phenotype could serve as a tool to assess the effectiveness of vaccines and the pathogenesis of RVA in equines, porcines, and bovines.
Cite This Article
APA
Gamage C, Holl W, Parreño V, Thieulent CJ, Balasuriya UBR, Vissani MA, Barrandeguy ME, Carossino M.
(2025).
Comparative clinical, virological and pathological characterization of equine rotavirus A G3P[12] and G14P[12] infection in neonatal mice.
J Gen Virol, 106(6), 002110.
https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.002110 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
- Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
- Instituto de Virología, CICVyA, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires B1686, Argentina.
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1425, Argentina.
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
- Instituto de Virología, CICVyA, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires B1686, Argentina.
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1425, Argentina.
- Escuela de Veterinaria, Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires B1630, Argentina.
- Plataforma de Salud Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), La Estanzuela, Semillero, Uruguay.
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
- Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Rotavirus Infections / virology
- Rotavirus Infections / pathology
- Rotavirus Infections / veterinary
- Rotavirus / genetics
- Rotavirus / classification
- Rotavirus / physiology
- Rotavirus / pathogenicity
- Rotavirus / isolation & purification
- Mice
- Animals, Newborn
- Horses
- Cattle
- Swine
- Diarrhea / virology
- Diarrhea / pathology
- Diarrhea / veterinary
- Virus Replication
- Disease Models, Animal
- Viral Load
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
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